Barb and anyone else who is interested in pushing the system, including judges, to respond to resident public safety demands and support the MPD, send your check to the Folwell Neighborhood Association (Memo: Public Safety Fund) and we will set up an account for any funds received.
FNA's 4th Ward CARE Task Force has been doing good solid work since 1998 and has the track record to prove that government can be moved to deliver the services residents believe are important. Think about what might happen if we, Minneapolis residents, spoke with one voice on the subject of public safety! Roberta Englund Folwell Neighborhood Association From: Barbara Lickness [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2005 11:12 PM To: Roberta Englund; 'Gregory Reinhardt'; [email protected] Subject: RE: [Mpls] Project STOP Roberta, tell me where to send my check. It would be a small price to pay to ensure that as the crime moves around (and it always does) that the same law enforcement team tracking it in one area will move with it. I listened to Mayor Randy Kelly talk about his disgust with how the people who allegedly shot Officer Jerry Vic were walking the streets free instead of being jail as both were convicted of felony crimes but evidently were not sentenced to any jail time for them. He called for a change in the system that would allow that. People burdened with repeat offenders living in high crime areas have been complaining about this for years. I know I spout off about it pretty regularly on this list. Maybe it takes someone with power to do the spouting. Someone like a mayor. I hope Mayor Kelly succeeds in being a catalyst for change. It is too bad a police officer had to lose his life for him to see the light. Maybe we need to add judges to the COPS program. It's one thing to arrest them over and over and over again. It's another to deliver some consequences for the behavior. Barb Lickness Whittier -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Roberta Englund Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2005 10:51 PM To: 'Gregory Reinhardt'; [email protected] Subject: RE: [Mpls] Project STOP Greg: thank you for taking the time to contribute this explanation of STOP and the implications of this unit. I wonder what would happen if residents committed to a Public Safety Fund donation and took the question of taxation and revenue gathering away from the elected (State and City). Perhaps that is the one way for "tax-payers" to enforce their priorities in the face of the don't raise taxes position of those currently, repeat - currently in office. So, what would happen if Minneapolis residents decided to donate $10.00 a month....$120.00 a year to support the Minneapolis Police Department and MPD related public safety initiatives? Our household will sign on, so that's the first $240.00. Folwell neighborhood Association's 4th Ward CARE Task Force has been supporting the 4th Precinct and safe neighborhood initiatives since 1998 using non-public funds. The need for public safety response always comes back to money, actually the lack of it! Anyway, if Minneapolis residents who think that this City could and should be safer and that elected's priorities should be realigned, decided to do something about it without waiting for executive decisions and started their own fund for the MPD, the results could be interesting. Roberta Englund Folwell Neighborhood -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Gregory Reinhardt Sent: Sunday, May 08, 2005 7:41 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [Mpls] Project STOP IMO: The STOP Unit will provide the Department some of the flexibility needed to react to crime patterns in a timely and proactive manner. If the current strategy is successful crime levels, will be reduced, eliminated, and/or displaced. It the case of the later, the STOP team would move its deployment into the area where the displaced criminals have set up shop. The current configuration of the Department is a result of decentralization. This was a widely accepted and national industry practice of providing resources and structure to support policing on a more localized level rather than a citywide response. In theory, each police precinct was a self-contained police department, with, street staffing, investigators, crime prevention, and other police services stationed and administered locally. Special investigative functions and operations (such as Homicide, Child Abuse, etc) remained centralized. Each precinct then reacted to different levels of crime patterns and desired policing services based on need and community expectations. However in practice, each precinct became somewhat rigid when new types of crimes or new levels of crimes appeared within their geographical boarders. Patrol, investigations and other tasks are for the most part set and the influx of new crimes and patterns placed a demand on the resources that were committed to provide "localized" sets of policing services. Nor did the precincts find an effective and permanent manner in which to "borrow" resources from other precincts or divisions to problem-solve and react to crime. In some ways decentralization was too successful. Five independent police departments, whose commanders (rightfully so) were concern about maintaining staffing to provide services within their assign commands. It was difficult (but not impossible) to utilize the resources of other assignments to work on local issues. Hence STOP. In essence, a 6th precinct without borders. And commanders, in theory, no longer will be faced with conflicting staffing levels or needs. If you will a permanent flexibility has been recreated. Those familiar with the department history will recall the "flying squads" of more than 20 years ago: squads who rushed into trouble spots and then like the wind, flew out when calm and order was reestablished. But policing units such as these are particularly vulnerable to the rise of police abuse. In this current incarnation, the STOP Unit should be monitored and held accountable for its actions and levels of crimes, just as other precinct/divisions are held responsible. The STOP Unit is a welcomed addition in MPD. But be careful for what you wish for, you might get it, and will need to pay for it. Such is the problem with simply calling for more cops. How are you going to fund an expanding workforce? Federal funding is not available and as pointed out before it may not be desirable. Cuts to LGA funds have not been restored, and more cuts are on the way. There is no interest in this legislative session to create an extra tax, user fee, or sales tax to fund public safety in Minneapolis. With less than two weeks left in session, there does not seem to be any help from the state availble. Nor does the City seem to be in position to raise taxes for public safety. The City will be force to cut other services to pay for merely maintaining the status quo, let alone increasing the size of the department. It would be helpful to hear from any of the candidates contesting for Minneapolis' public offices on how this will be accomplished. What cuts will be made and what are the ranges of services that are considered core to public service? Supporting stronger, flexible, and adequately staffed Public Safety Teams may get you elected. But without a fiduciary sound plan to do so, is disingenuous. Greg Reinhardt Excelsior REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
